Change the default format for Transaction Journal?

Appreciate your time bringing this to our attention, rmcneill,

Let me get the help you need concerning Transaction Journal.

In QuickBooks Desktop, you can customize the format of your Transaction Journal. However, it will not going to the whole part.

To Customize reports, follow these steps:

1. Run a report.
2. Click Customize Report in the Report window.
3. On the Modify Report window, go to the tab/s you need to update.
4. Click OK.

To for more detailed steps, here's a great resource that you can check on: Customize reports in QuickBooks Desktop.

If you need further assistance with the steps, you can always contact our Customer Care Support Team. They have the specific tools like screen sharing to walk you through.

To contact us, here’s how:

1. Click this link https://help.quickbooks.intuit.com/en_US/contact.
2. Choose the QuickBooks Product.
3. Select your QuickBooks Desktop version.
4. On the Contact Us page, select a topic.
5. Click on Get Phone Number button to see the support number.

You are always welcome to come back in if you have further questions about customizing reports in QuickBooks Desktop account. I’m always here to help.

This doesn't help.  As I noted in my question, I'm trying to figure out a way to MOVE some of the fields (Trans #, Type, Date, Number) from the Column display to the HEADER section.  The response was a general process for customizing a transaction, which I'd already gone through.  Secondly, I'm hoping I can save that type of format as a new permanent default format; but it sounds like this isn't possible.  But, how specifically can I move the fields above from Columns to Header?  I've searched all over the Customize Report windows and can't find it.  Any help would be appreciated, even if to say that my specific request isn't possible...........THANKS!

Hi there, rmcneill.

I'm here to provide some clarification regarding this matter.

At this time, the option to move the columns to the Header section isn't available. That said, I also think it's a good idea to be able to customize the columns and give more space to the fields that you actually need.

Rest assured, I'll be sending feedback to our Product Development Team based on this interaction. After all, enhancements to QuickBooks functionalities are largely the results of feedback provided by users, such as yourself.

Lastly, I don't want you to go empty-handed. You may want to visit our Apps Center. In here, you can look for a third-party app, that will let you customize the report exactly the way you want to and integrate it with QuickBooks.

It's always a pleasure to have you here in the Community. Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you in the meantime. I want to make sure you're taken care of. Have a great day!

Did this ever get resolved? I, too, would like to change the default of the Transaction Journal, there are so many fields included you need a magnifying glass to read a printed report. Customizing the report works, but only for the individual Transaction Journal you have open. Customizing every single Transaction Journal every time isn't efficient. Please Help!

I see where you're coming from, @Tammar.

As of now, the option to permanently customize the Transaction Journal format is currently not possible. As a workaround, you can look for a third-party app that lets you permanently customize it.

You can go to the App Center menu inside your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) software and look for an app from there.

I can see having this option could benefit your business and other users. Rest assured our Product Developing team is always looking for ways in improving QuickBooks. To stay current on the latest news about QuickBooks, visit our Product Updates page for reference.

In regards to using a magnifying glass to read your printed report, you can adjust its font and numbers before printing it. Let me show you how.

1. Run any report or your Journal report.
2. Select Customize Report.
3. Go to the Fonts & Numbers tab.
4. Select Change Font.
5. Adjust the settings base on your preference and click OK.
6. Select OK when done. 

You can also see this link for more details on customizing reports in QBDT.

it's also great to memorized the report to save its current settings. This way, you won’t have to go through the customization process again.

Have other thoughts or questions? You’re always welcome to share them with me. I’ll be around to listen and help you. Keep safe and stay well.

Thanks for trying to help, I find when I use "memorize report" it saves everything, including the current invoice that the Transaction Journal is for, so every time I run the memorized report it it's displaying info for the old invoice I was looking at, not for the current invoice I want it to be for. Can you tell me how to get a memorized report to update based on a different field criteria (in my case it's the field labeled "Number")? If so this would solve my problem enough.

I also find the same issue when I customize the report (font, etc.). I can use those features to make it look exactly how I want, but then when I open the Transaction Journal for a new invoice I have to redo it all. It's not realistic to go in and customize the report every time, too time consuming. 

The tiny print happens when I email the report as a PDF regardless of the report customization, because it automatically shrinks all columns down to fit to page, portrait layout. My solution is to remove the 8 columns I don't need every time before I email the report so the font isn't shrunk down to unreadable. 

I appreciate for adding more information about your concern, Tammar.

I can see how important your business is to customize the Transaction Journal to show on the new invoice. Let me share some insights about the Memorized feature.

When memorizing a report, QuickBooks saves the same settings applied to it. Depending on the date filter, the data will be different or updated.

That’s why the information didn’t show to the current invoice. You can consider using a third-party application as mentioned by @JasroV.

I’m adding some articles for future reference. These resources will guide you on how to modify or delete memorized reports and entries.

• Create, access, and modify memorized reports
• Create, edit, or delete memorized transactions

Let me know in the comment section below if you have any other concerns. I’ll jump right back in to answer them for you. Have a good one.

For QB Desktop:

To move columns around: Click and hold on the Column heading an drag it left or right.